2. Dress up your storefront

The key to this is to have a detailed, thorough, and visually appealing shop.

Photos are the lifeline of online shops like Etsy. Buyers love photos that show off the product’s best feature. If it’s something that can be worn, make sure you have a model photographed wearing it. As much as possible, be consistent with your photos. Using a backdrop like a solid colored cloth or foam board is a quick fix.

Don’t overlook seemingly small details like your shop’s "About" page and your store's policies. Make sure your policies are reasonable, especially your returns and exchange rules. Make this section interesting. Just because they’re “fine print” they have to be bland.

3. Kick it up on social media

Set up profiles on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Use beautiful photos of your products and your creative process. Online buyers love seeing how products are made and what they’re made of. Feature raw materials and other components of your works in progress.

Establish a standard routine. You should try an approach like 5-10-5 where you post five photos, follow ten profiles, and share five posts daily.

Of course, use hashtags so your audience can find you easily. Good ones to use are the #wip hashtag for works in progress, and #handmade for process photos. Research your competitors and the most popular profiles in your niche for the most effective hashtags.

Link to your product listings where possible. Having relevant links pointing to your Etsy store improves your chances of getting found on Etsy. Of course, only link when the content is relevant -- don’t overdo it.

5. Be known in your niche

Aside from marketing to your direct audience, there is a lot to gain in networking with other creators and brands in your niche.

Look up sites that welcome guest posts. There’s also no harm in asking websites if they’d be open for a guest author to write an article for their site. Make sure that your pitch isn’t all self-promotion.

For example, if you’re selling hats, maybe you can pitch a step-by-step guide on hat-making. Make it pretty and full of photos. You can include a link to your store. Share that you have handmade products in case the readers would rather buy than make.

Never buy a link or engage in spammy and black hat techniques. You’re not only wasting money. You could also be penalized for it and lose all the fruits of your hard work.

Selling on Etsy is a marathon, not a sprint. Be diligent in marketing and improving your store. Dedicated Etsy sellers who are open to learning and applying lessons to their store are those who get good traffic.

Sales tax rates, rules, and regulations change frequently. Although we hope you'll find this information helpful, this blog is for informational purposes only and does not provide legal or tax advice.

Avalara Author

Gene Marks

Avalara AuthorGene Marks

Gene Marks is a columnist, book author, CPA, and owner of Marks Group PC, a technology and consulting services firm. Gene writes every day on business, politics, and public policy for the Washington Post and weekly for Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur, and the Huffington Post.